Ronnie made the move at 4.35 yesterday afternoon. He's in no more pain, no more struggle. I can't say what an Influence the man was on my life. The folks here that knew him, talked to him, heard his records and saw his unbelievable live show know what I mean when I say, he was simply the best there ever was. I was very lucky to call him a close friend. More like family. Yesterday I talked to Ronnie. He couldn't respond verbally, the cancer had him all balled up. He did smile, nod his head and give us the set out lower jaw look that always meant, Lets go, this is great,! I told him how much I loved him, which brought the nod. I told him that Kevin and Lisa were there too and they walked in the room. That brought the Smile and then the let's go look. We all talked to him, thanked him and told him he didn't have to wait around any more. All that was left was his heart and man he always had the strongest heart. We knew it was time to say good bye, not good bye, just see ya down the line horsy. I leaned over and said to Ronnie, I hope you know how much you've touch every body, every body who meet you, saw you perform, they all love you. Ronnie nodded again. I kissed his forehead and he nodded once more knowing it was time to say goodbye. I will miss my friend but he will always live on. Ronnie's brother was by his side, his wife Chris, who he shared his love with unconditionally. Then at 4.30 the gates of heave opened up and Ronnie Dawson came strolling through. He walked over to heavens bandstand and picked up his guitar. Locked eyes with the band, threw out his lower jaw and said. Give me the down beat maestro!
I'm really sorry to hear that, I saw him a bunch of times in concert, what a showman. So much energy and he was such a nice guy too.
And Paul Burlison also p***ed on Saturday. http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Arena/6527/PaulBurlison.htm
Thanks for sharing a very personal part of your life and his family's as well. I never met the man but I can tell by the way you looked up to him that he had to be a great guy. My prayers go out to his family.
I was listening to the Rockabilly review on KNON last night and heard the news about Ronnie. I knew it was coming but it was still a shock. I think it was around 97 or 98 I saw High Noon in Dallas for the first time. later that night they called Ronnie up to do a few songs. My life was changed to say the least. You gotta know ol Ronnie,Paul,& Johnny are Tearin it up in the promise land. Krupa,Thanks for sharing a very personal experience with the HAMB family.
Krup, Thank you for sharing with us. I feel so blessed to have seen the man work his magic the many times I did. His family both on and off stage will be in my thoughts and prayers. Woody
Hey Krupanut please let the Dawson family know that the Hamb family has them in their prayers. A short story about when I met Ronnie. I used to be a booking agent and have a radio show here in town and got to book him a show. When he came into town we met up and got him into the concert hall that he was going to play. My dad remembers listening to him on the radio when he was a kid. When I introduced my pop's to Ronnie they just sat down and started talkin about everything under the sun like they were long lost friends. Ronnie was one of the most dwon earth people I have ever met and not once did his stardom go to his head. He told me before his introduction that night that he was so shocked that people still remembered him and the youger crowd was totally listening to his and fellow counter parts that played his type of music. He is in my book one of the unsung hero's in early rock and roll, and will be truly missed. Ronnie leave's a void that cannot be filled. Just a little story from my small part of the world.
Thanks Krup... My wife and I were really having a tough time coming to terms with this. We were looking forward to going to the benefit they were having for him out here, hoping that our little contribution might change fortune in some way. Your story helps... He was a great guy. We'd seen him a lot and talked to him a few times. Always seemed gracious and was a ton o fun to watch. Always had the right energy. For me, even though I don't really go for idolitry as far as artists etc. go, I always have a hard time when someone p***es that seemed to grab off a chunk of life and hold on to it no matter what. When a "RULER TM" dies it makes you kinda think that if it happens to them, what chance do you have. From what I knew of him (which wasn't a whole hell of a lot in all honesty) Ronnie Dawson was a "RULER." I'll miss having the opportunity to see him play. Not to sound all "gushy" but just knowing that he was out there and still playing helped add some realism to the glam show that has become Rockabilly music.
How lucky you were to have the opportunity to meet such a great person. My condolances to you and his family.
Shaun - thanks for the moving tribute to a Texas musical legend, and deepest condolences to Ronnie's family. He will be sorely missed.
I feel lucky to have known Ronnie the little that I did. I'm thankful to have been able to see one of the greatest performers in rock-n-roll history. And to have a glimpse behind the blonde hair and devilish grin. We weren't great, call him on the phone, friends. I'd talk to him when he came into town. A little before the show, or after. I even got to sit in one time on sax at the Continental Club. That was easily the highlight of my music career. He made me feel like I was the best, even though I know I was far, far from it. I'll never forget that. He was a guy who made a positive difference in the lives of the people around him. I've seen that in Shaun, Sean, Kevin, and especially Lisa. I'm glad I took the opportunity to thank him for being who he was. I just reread what I wrote: "He made a positive difference in the lives of the people around him." Who could ask to be remembered in a better way than that? Shaun, we'll talk more away from the board. But I do want to give my condolences to you. I know it hurts.
Thank you all for your kind words. To all of you who have e-mailed today, thank you. You've make a tough day a bit easier. Something y'all may not have known about Ronnie, and I certanly did'nt untill I built my roadster. Ronnie loved to Drag race. He told me he had a 413 he raced at the yellow belly strip in the early 60s. He said it was alot of fun untill it got too big and he hated it when they stopped using a flag man and got a tree. He was a car guy.
Ronnie will never be gone, in fact he is in my 32 ready to ride this weekend in the CD player. As long as we keep rocking to his music he will always be around. Ronnie was a good friend, he played my wedding for next to nothing (beer money for the band is all he wanted), and I received many a head **** from him at all the shows I went to and consider myself blessed to have known the man. I lost touch with him over the last few years with having a kid, doing the job thing, and so on...but everytime I saw him I got a hug and it was like no time had p***ed at all. He was my buddy, but to the High Noon boys and Lisa he was truly family, and my heart goes out to ya guys and to his brother and wife. Ronnie was the best, what more can you say. I miss him, but I still have a piece of him in the form of his music...and I am sure that is the way he wanted it.
Shaun "God Bless Ronny"..., and thankyou for introducing him to me at his "Last" "Lonestar Roundup". Mark
I just dont know what ot say, Ronnie was the best performer on stage with the most energy of anybody i've ever seen, and the most down to earth person when he stepped off stage. I can remember sitting after a show in a booth with him after only meeting a few times and it was like we had been freinds all our life.A sad day for me indeed. He will be missed!
We played with him once, like 8 or 9 years ago at this weird rock club in Madison. We didn't fit the bill at all and pissed off the rock a billys, but he was great! I am sorry for his p***ing and even more so for your loss of a friend.
Saw the man play for the first time a few years ago in Dallas. One of the most energetic shows I've ever seen. He really put everything into his performances. Hope we all have that at***ude at that age. He will definitely be missed.
Shaun, I love you for writing what you did. I've got tears in my eyes and my heart is heavy. The only reason we got to see Ronnie play as much as we did is because Ronnie played relentlessly. All the time he played, with the full guts and glory of the teenage heart beating in his body. The funny thing is the last time he played he in Orlando the newspaper did an article befitting of his enormous stature as an American musical legend. But they touted his healthy regime, the fact that he ran three miles every morning and took care of himself, and looked twenty years younger than he was. But cancer man, that ****'s lurking beneath the surface for pretty much everyone. I'm so sad he's gone, I won't get to see his perfect flattop, his sly grin and his nimble fingers tearing up his Fender anymore. What a beautiful human being he was, please God let him Rock and Roll forevermore, despite the fact that some earthbound maniacs call this the 'Devil's Music.'
All I can say from all the Outkasts is sorry fer yer loss and everybody that ever saw or was influenced by the waxahachie wild man. I'm jammin 1 of his cd's now in rememberence. We'll poor sum beer on the ground and have a moment of silence at the drags fer him.
Yo shawn I wasen`t gonna post on this toppic untill I read your post I was working on my 32 out in the garage listning to a rino comp cd wehn I heard ronnie started singin rockin bones my wife and I loved to here him say action pack well we were both digin the song later that nite I got on the hamb an saw that he had pased away the strange thing was when we were listing to his song wwas around the time he p***ed on no b.s. the best thing for me was watching you and ronnie at the round up last year and with all my coolness with my shades on couldn`t hide the tears............V.F.
Shaun, we are all feeling it brother. I am so glad you, Kevin and Lisa got to represent not only yourselves but all of his Continental family yesterday.I know it brought him peace to have ya'll around. We are sure gonna miss that guy. He broke the mold . There will never be another one like him. The many times we got to experience that force on S. Congress made an indelible impression not only on all of us but on the club itself. He is hangin w/ his pal Shoeshine Charley now and I am sure SS Charley is spreading out the crowd to make room for Ronnie's big entrance. There is a great piece on Ronnie's website under the "commentary" section which is worth another read. It really summed up alot for me and made me feel like i was back at the his last performance at The Round-Up. www.ronniedawson.com
The Jalopy Journal
